Ewe and lamb management at lambing

Trevor CookThe New Manawatu Vets

Feilding and Palmerston North

What are the issues?

• Pre lamb treatments• Pre lamb feeding• Lambing paddock allocation• Avoiding wastage

Pre lamb treatments

• Clostridial vaccinating – needs to be within 3 weeks of PSL

• Potions• LSD• Vita mineral drench• Garlic and vinegar• Drenching?

Peri lambing drench decisions

• Most top farmers do not drench (all ewes).• Persistent acting drenches are a risk.• Whole flock treatments are a risk • Think of cost benefits

Peri lambing drench decisions

• Most top farmers do not drench (all ewes).• Persistent acting drenches are a risk.• Whole flock treatments are a risk • Think of cost benefits• Young ewes need more protection.• Light ewes need more protection• Can you monitor the worm level?

Pre lamb feeding

• Sharp increase in energy demands from 6 (4) weeks out – twins need 23% more – triplets need 44% more

• Must not loose > 0.5 BCS• Must increase feed intake over this time

Pre Lambing Feeding• Hard to achieve with pasture covers alone

(unless can ration).

• PGR’s/pasture quality are the vital tools for achieving this.

• MOST COMMON AREA OF FAILURE

Managing Pre Lamb Feeding

• Time of lambing• Stocking rate• Nitrogen• Pasture quality• Grazing control• PLANNING

Lambing paddock management

• Utilise paddock history• ID high risk ewes:─ Young multiples─Thin ewes─Triplets• Triplets need flat and small paddocks

Wastage

• Ewe deaths• Lamb deaths• Lamb growth rates

What Have We Done?

• Constant focus on breeds• Tried more and more magic potions• Have decreased drench inputs!• Provided more feed as the answer to all• Increased N inputs – esp winter

The Outcome

• No increase in lamb survival• Increased ewe deaths• Little change in weaning weights

Ewe Deaths

• Traditionally: - Throughout the year- Johnes Disease dominant- Bearings

Ewe Deaths

• Today:- Spring dominant- Bearings (just more and older twins)- Mature and old ewes- Multiples esp triplets- Are just tally differences- Not found

Why?

• Majority of ewes carrying > 1 lamb• Old ewes• Very fecund old ewes• Triplets – 30+%

– means 5% quads• Imagine the risk of 5/6 year old triplet ewe• Ewe quality issues• Feed composition?

Ewe quality

• Poor constitution/low BCS• Lame • Udder defects

Ewe quality

• Poor constitution/low BCS• Lame • Udder defects• Old- Teeth unreliable- No room to cull• Low culling rate- Replacements, Poor performers

Recap

• Lots of multiples• Plenty of old ewes• Improved feed Q• Aggresively grown more feed, esp pre

lamb• Continued heavy P +/- S• Ignored pH?• Pre occupied with just more feed

Recap the outcome

• More ewe deaths• Lowered lamb survival• No increase in lamb weaning weights• All of this now a very common outcome.

What could be happening?

• Many high risk ewes – age, productive potential

• Pasture diet high in potential to cause metabolic disease

• N inputs increase this risk?• Macro element imbalances limiting

lactation performance.

Managing this threat

• ID the “at risk” sheep (triplets, 5+ year ewes multiples)

• Feed modestly• Paddock preferences• Be careful with winter N• Pasture monitoring

The End